


Rewritten Truce

by craigtrash



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, M/M, mentions of mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 01:22:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craigtrash/pseuds/craigtrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: I really want an arranged marriage au where liam is like the warrior crowned prince of some nation and zayn is promised to him by his father as like peace treaty collateral. And Zayn has to move to Liam’s country, which is like the complete opposite of his kingdom. And he doesnt fit in and Liam at first is very cold with him because he’s more interested in protecting his realm from threats and zayn is sad and lonely but eventually they fall for one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rewritten Truce

Blood. Screams. Death. Victory. These are the things which Liam, the Great Prince of Cerberus, lived for. He loved storming a city in the name of his kingdom and returning with hardly a scratch on him and his blade dyed red with the blood of the enemy. Of course, it’s not as if they went to war just to pass the time, although Liam almost wished they would. Liam’s father, the  reigning King of the empire, only did what he saw necessary to protect the people in his kingdom. He was a good King, beloved by many and Liam was first in line to follow in his foot steps. It was expected of him to carry on his father’s legacy. Liam had known this entire life and had accepted that eventually, he would have to put down the sword and pick up the royal scepter. Until that time came, he would continue to fight alongside the troops in the name of glory.

One of the best things about a successful battle, is the celebration that came afterward. The entire kingdom becomes abuzz at the news and the palace holds a feast for the brave men who helped bring victory. On these occasions, Liam would shed his battle armor and dressed in his best robes, gold plates across his chest, and his crown safely on the top of his head. On the battlefield, he didn’t see himself as above the other men who put their lives in the same danger as his own, but after the battle? Liam liked to remind people just who he was.

By the time he arrived, there were torches lighting up the entire banquet hall and he could tell as he walked by that most of the men’s cheeks were pink from drinking wine. Liam chuckled at the celebration and made his way up to the thrones where his parents were sitting, sipping goblets of their own wine and looking out to the celebration. As soon as his father spotted him, he set his wine down and stood up with his arms wide. “Ah, Liam!” he called out with a drunken smile on his face. “So good to see you, my boy! Congratulations on yet another brilliant victory. You make me proud.”

Liam bowed his head and smiled at his father as the man pulled him into his outstretched arms. “Thank you, sir,” he replied as he stepped back from his father’s embrace. “I’m glad I could continue to protect this kingdom in your honor.”

The man patted his son’s shoulder  before sitting back down next to his wife. Liam moved towards his mother and kissed her cheek. She too congratulated him on the success of the battle but Liam could tell how troubled her eyes were. While his father did care about him, his mother’s love was so much deeper and he knew she worried every time he jumped onto his horse and rode away that he might not return.

In the seat next to her, sat his younger brother, Harry. The boy, who was only eleven in age, was squirming in his seat which made Liam chuckle. His brother loved the lights and the food, but _hated_ these types of banquets. He had to wear his fine robes which were much more uncomfortable than his usual attire. He ruffled his hair, making the other boy cry out in annoyance as he fixed his crown. Liam may be seen as a ruthless killer on the battlefield, but Harry was definitely his soft spot. Liam then walked over to his own throne, next to his father and sat down.

Since Liam’s arrival meant the royal family was completely congregated, that meant that the feast could finally begin. His father stood up and looked out to the crowd making silence spread through the entire hall. Everyone was looking up at the King, expecting the usual post-battle speech as the man began to speak. “Brave men of Cerberus!” he bellowed. “You have again brought this kingdom to another glorious victory.” Cheers erupted through the hall, making the King chuckle. “You should all be very proud to call yourselves Cerberus warriors. With that being said, as you know, my son, Prince Liam is becoming of age and will soon take my place as King.” Again, more shouts and cheers erupted. “Our friends of Cythera who fought alongside us today and many times before, send tribute to us not just in the bountiful food in front of you now, but also in the form of a consort for Prince Liam!”

Liam felt his eyes go wide at his father’s words. A _consort?_ Sure, he knew it was expected of him to pick up a consort eventually once he took the crown, but he didn’t even turn twenty until the next full moon! Surely his father didn’t expect him to take on a consort now? He looked over at his mother who didn’t seem at all phased by the information. She probably didn’t know about the tribute, but Liam knew that she would much rather him take on a consort, settle down and start a family of his own than go out in battle with the possibility of not returning.

Liam turned his attention back to his father and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as the cheers died down and his father turned to him. “Liam,” he said, motioning him to join him. Liam stood up, putting on a neutral face and approached his father. The man placed a hand on his son’s shoulder and signaled to the two guards by the doors who opened the large double-doors to the hall. Two other guards walked from the entrance towards the thrones with someone who Liam couldn’t catch a look of behind them. When they finally reached the two royals, they stepped to the side and revealed a…. _boy._

“This is Zayn,” the King announced. “He is said to be the most beautiful mortal in all of Cythera. Not only is the boy beautiful, but he is also a Son of Hera.” There were a string of gasps that went through the hall and Liam had to stop himself from gasping as well. A Son of Hera didn’t refer to actually being a son of the goddess, but it referred the fertility that a rare boy possessed. It is said that Hera, the goddess of marriage and birth, picks only a select few to have the gift and anyone who is lucky enough to lie with these individuals will have strong offspring and as a King, Liam could see how this would be beneficial to his image.

The boy, _Zayn,_ was very beautiful. Even from the short distance between them, he could see the way the boy’s dark lashes fanned out against his cheek whenever he blinked or the way his bottom lip pushed out just slightly to form a small pout. Yes, Zayn was very beautiful, but even so, Liam had no time for a consort. All he wanted was to continue his military success before he had the many duties of a King dumped onto him for the rest of his life. Liam noticed the other boy bow to them with practiced grace before addressing them. “Your majesties,” he said, his voice smooth as the silk of his robes. “It is such an honor to be here as tribute to your kingdom in the name of the people of Cythera.”

Liam wanted to roll his eyes. He couldn’t understand how anyone would want to give themselves up as tribute, but he bit his tongue. It would be in bad taste to insult someone he was supposed to carry his children in front of so many people. Liam’s father, however, seemed very pleased with Zayn and offered the boy his hand. Zayn took it graciously and moved closer to them. The boy, who Liam could now see had piercing golden eyes, turned towards him and grinned at the Prince. “It is an honor to be considered for the role as your official consort, Prince Liam,” the boy said, his golden orbs holding Liam’s gaze.

The King clapped in pure happiness, probably about how not only did Liam have a perspective consort, but that he was a beautiful Son of Hera as well. He turned to grab his wine goblet and faced the crowd. “To Prince Liam and Zayn!” There was a chorus of cheers for the two as the King returned to his throne to grab his wife’s hand and sit at the royal table, Harry scurrying behind them, eager to finally eat. Liam was left with just Zayn and he tried to push the frustration from his face and asked Zayn if he’d join him at the table for a feast.

For the first time since he could remember, Liam didn’t enjoy the feast. He enjoyed them when he was a young boy since the food was extravagant and the sweets were more plentiful than any other time but when he reached sixteen and was allowed to go out to the field for the first time, they became something more. With every return, he gained more respect from not just the men who fought alongside him, but also from the rest of the kingdom and the others than surrounded them. Now he sat here, picking away at what he was sure was a delicious meal, trying his best not to grimace at the situation. At least for the entire meal, Zayn was silent next to him.

He didn’t even get to have relief when the banquet was _over_ since now that Zayn was here, he was expected to take the boy back to his chambers. They weren’t expected to sleep with each other until Liam officially became King or at least became of age. It was actually frowned upon but the boy still had to be there, sharing Liam’s space when he was most certainly was not welcomed. Still, for appearances sake, Liam offered his hand to Zayn, making both of his parents smile and Harry giggle at their mother’s side. He didn’t let go of the boy’s hands until they were safely behind the doors of his royal apartments where no one could see them.

Liam wasn’t sure who let go first but it seemed like maybe the both had. Liam smoothed out the fabric of his robes and looked to Zayn whose passive look from before had turned into a small scowl. “For the record,” the boy said. “I don’t want to be here.”

The Prince scoffed at him as he sat down in his plush chair near he balcony. “And to think,” he said sarcastically. “I thought we’d have nothing in common.”

Zayn stood there in the middle of the room, his arms crossed over his chest and his head held high. “I’m only here to protect my people,” he said, not really caring whether or not Liam was actually listening to him. “If we didn’t give your barbaric kingdom a high enough tribute, you’d just kill more of us.”

Liam stood from his chair, enraged at the other boy’s words. “Kill more of you?” he growled. “We _protected_ you. If it wasn’t for us, those bloody savages from the mountains----“

“Would have done less damage than you would have!” Zayn interrupted. “ My people aren’t fighters. We are a peaceful people who believe in love and not warfare. Not only did you kill many innocent people in order to so call _protect_ us, you destroyed dozens of crop fields that could have provided my people _months_ of food and---“

This time, Liam was the one who interrupted him. Now he stood right in front of Zayn, his nostrils flaring with anger. “Quiet,” he ordered as he glared into Zayn’s eyes. “You obviously know nothing of how war and battle works. How many good men from this kingdom died so your kingdom wasn’t seized by those who are truly barbaric. We may have destroyed some land and yes, lives get lost but with them, they would have done much worse. They would strike down whole families, rape and pillage your entire village. So don’t you dare tell me what we did was wrong. You should be on your knees and thanking me for what we did. For what _we_ sacrificed.”

 Zayn’s eyes continued to hold that same angry intensity, but Liam could see his face soften just slightly and he knew that he had won. “Whatever,” the other boy murmured. “Your kingdom is still pretty barbaric. It’s named after the helldogs of Hades for gods sake.”

That seemed to be the end of it which Liam was glad for. This situation was already horrible enough and he didn’t want to push him and wake up one night with a pillow over his face or a knife in his chest. Zayn moved over to the fireplace that had been lit at some point before they arrived. Liam watched the way the shadows moved across his features and his stomach clenched violently at the beauty of the boy. It made sense that he came from the same city that it is said the goddess of beauty and sexuality, Aphrodite, had been born. He hated him. He wanted nothing to do with him or what he stood for. All of those feelings would be so much easier if he didn’t look like he had been carved from the same marble as the statues that surrounded the kingdom.

There was nothing that could be done about it now. He still had a month to figure out how to deal with this situation and hopefully getting out of having a consort all together. At least until his father had truly passed, that is. Liam sighed in his seat before standing up and started stripping himself of the gold plates and his robes. He heard a small gasp come from Zayn who watched him from the other side of the room. Liam neatly placed his things in their rightful place before giving the boy his attention. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I hardly am expecting you to lie with me. Even if you are meant to be my consort, nothing would be officially until I am of age. Even then, don’t hold your breath.”

Zayn scowled again, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to fight again. His body was exhausted from the long day of travel and all he wanted to do was sleep. At least the Prince’s bed was large and looked comfortable. Zayn shed his own clothes and moved to the other side of the bed. He climbed in and faced away from Liam and made sure that no part of their bodies brushed even slightly.

\---

The week or so following the introduction of Zayn to the kingdom were quite a headache for Liam. Everywhere he went, people would ask about his consort and how happy they were for him. Liam wanted to groan each and every time. He only had less than three weeks to figure out what he should do to try and get out of, or at least push back the inevitability. He and Zayn still didn’t get along but for the most part, they had a truce where they didn’t speak to each other unless absolutely necessary. It was as good as he could get, Liam reckoned.

Even though Liam was still very much at odds with Zayn, his parents were in love with him. Whenever Zayn joined his family for a meal, he was able to charm both of his parents which just fueled Liam’s anger towards the boy. It would be so much harder to get around this if Zayn kept acting the way he was. Liam couldn’t even figure out why he was being so kind to the King and Queen considering how he admitted the first night that he disliked this kingdom. Liam really, really, hated him.

When they had finished their meal one night, they left his parents, hand-in-hand as always, but as soon as they arrived back to their rooms, he left Zayn without explanation. He needed to get away, needed to clear his head. There was really only one place where he could do that. He saddled his horse and rode off into town. When he arrived to the small house, Liam tied his horse up with the two others and went to knock on the door. A few moments later, he saw the large grin of Louis, Liam’s oldest and dearest friend, smiling at him. “I wondered when you’d come running here,” he said, opening the door wider to allow the Prince into his very modest house.

Although the two seemed like an odd pair to be friends, Liam and Louis had gone back many years. Louis’ father was hired by the King to teach Liam how to properly use a sword in preparation for his military career. Louis’ father was a decorated member of his father’s military for many, many years until he was struck down in battle when the boys were fifteen. Liam had been devastated and worried for his friend, but Louis had always been self-efficient and independent. Louis had proven that not only could he take care of himself, but that he planned on following in his father’s footsteps. Louis was one of the kingdom’s best warriors and fought alongside Liam in every battle since they had both turned sixteen.

Louis was always a breath of fresh air from the going-ons at the palace. To everyone else, he was Prince Liam, the future King. To Louis, he was just like anyone else he could run into in town. That is why Liam found himself sitting down at Louis’ small table. Everything in Louis’ home was small but whenever Liam offered to give Louis something, Louis would yell at him and send anything away that Liam would deliever to him. Except for one of his horses, Felicite. She was a brilliant horse with powerful legs and quick reflexes. All Louis did when Liam arrived with the horse was grit out, “ _Damn it, Liam_ ,” and smacked him in the face before pulling the other boy into a tight embrace.

  Now Louis was sitting patiently across from Liam, waiting for him to spill everything that was on his mind. Liam let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hate this,” he finally said desperately.

Louis clapped his hands together and rolled his eyes. “Thank you, Liam,” he said sarcastically. “I understand everything now. You have such a way with words.”

Liam shot Louis a look of annoyance which only made Louis smirk at the Prince. Liam grumbled something that Louis couldn’t hear, before he continued. “I hate this whole consort thing. I don’t _want_ a consort! I’m not ready to step down from battle, it’s my entire life! I especially don’t want to step down for _him._ I swear, that boy is a constant thorn in my side. He doesn’t even want to be here, he told me so as soon as we got to my apartments after the banquet that first night. He’s annoying, bitter, and…and…fucking _beautiful._ I hate him, Louis. I swear I do. 

For once, Louis didn’t reply right away. He sat there and seemed to be thinking over Liam’s words. ‘ _That can’t be good’_ Liam thought to himself. Usually, Louis was quick witted and rarely took things seriously. That’s the whole reason why he was here. If Louis was actually thinking about this, Liam wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer. “Well, Liam,” he said, crossing his fingers together on the top of the table. “You don’t really have a bloody choice, mate. You’ve known what was expected of you for your whole life and now you’re trying to wiggle your way out of it for the sake of your own personalhonor. You’re almost twenty years old. You’re not a boy anymore, Liam. You are going to have to face the responsibilities you’ve known about forever. Is it fair? No, probably not but the people of this kingdom? They need a selfless King who is focused on their well-being, not just his own. Kingdoms fall that way and you’re too good of a person to actually let that happen.”

Liam was shocked, to say the least. Rarely did Louis get deep and personal with Liam like this. Deep down, he knew his friend was probably right. He’s known this time would come his whole life and in reality, his father was getting too old to properly run the kingdom. Liam bit down on his lower lip because apparently, Louis wasn’t finished. “Have you even tried to get to know him, Liam?” he asked. “I mean, he’s a Son of Hera, he has to be pretty interesting.” Liam shook his head and Louis sighed. “Just give my words some thought, yeah?”

Liam agreed and stood up and turned to Louis. “Thank you,” he said, giving the other boy’s shoulder a small squeeze.

Louis pulled Liam into a hug which Liam easily returned. Right as Liam was about to leave, Louis chuckled and said, “Say ‘hi’ to Harry for me.” Liam groaned. Louis was more than aware of his brother’s strange fascination with Louis which boarded on a crush, even if Harry would deny it. Harry would probably pout and become upset with Liam for at least a day if he found out he went to visit Louis without him. Liam didn’t even give his friend the satisfaction of a response.

On his ride back to the palace, Louis’ words kept going through his head. He probably should feel bad that it had been over a week and he had barely said anything to the boy that wasn’t for appearances sake since he arrived. Even though Zayn made it clear he didn’t want to be here, Liam didn’t have to be a _complete_ arse to him.

He tied his horse up and unsaddled her before heading up the stairs to his apartments. The door was slightly ajar and when Liam peaked in, he saw Harry, sitting in Zayn’s lap and giggling softly. Zayn seemed to be telling him something that had his little brother entranced. Zayn was smiling and talking to his brother with such tenderness that it made Liam feel like he was intruding on them. It took a few moments, but Liam eventually gathered his princely composure and opened the door, making the two heads look at his direction.

“Liam!” Harry called out from his spot on Zayn’s lap. “Where were you? I came in here after my bath and Zayn said you had left. He was telling me stories, Liam. He’s such a good storyteller.”

Liam smiled at his brother’s enthusiasm and looked up at Zayn who just shrugged his shoulders. “I went into town to visit Louis.”

Just like he had expected, Harry’s eyes went wide before his face turned into a scowl. “You went without me?” he cried out and climbed out of Zayn’s lap. “You’re such a jerk, Liam!” As the younger boy walked pass his brother, the older _swore_ he heard the boy grumble something about liking Zayn better. He’ll let that one slide, for now.

Zayn, on the other hand, seemed to have heard as well and was chuckling softly from his spot on Liam’s chair. Liam tried his best not to roll his eyes at the other boy as he slipped off his riding cloak and kicked off his boots. “You seem to have won over my entire family,” he noted as he changed into more comfortable clothes.

“Yes,” Zayn said, his eyes following Liam across the room. “Everyone but you.”

Liam stopped in his tracks and sighed. Louis’ words again were running through his mind and he pushed back any of his unwarranted feelings towards the other boy. Well, _slightly_ unwarranted. He turned towards Zayn and walked over the other boy. As out of character as it seemed, Liam dropped to one knee and took one of the other boy’s hands. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know that I haven’t been the kindest since your arrival, but I really wasn’t expecting to get a consort for quite some time. That I’d be able to continue with the battles and not have to face my responsibilities. I know I can’t do that. You’re here and you obviously can’t be that bad since you’ve seem to have won over my brother. I can’t promise that I won’t continue to be stubborn and quite the arse occasionally, but I’ll do my best to at least make your time here more enjoyable.”

Zayn looked at Liam with a neutral face. Liam didn’t really expect him to believe him, he _had_ been quite rude over the past week or so. Still, the boy continued to try and impress and win over the members of Liam’s family so he possibly would have an open heart to Liam, or at least the Prince hoped.  “I don’t expect you to completely stop being an arse,” the boy finally responded. “I’d rather have a complete arse than a kiss arse. I need someone who can keep up with my sharp tongue.” They shared a smile then and it seemed that the truce that they had before had been rewritten and for now, that’s all Liam could ask for.

\---

Over the next two weeks, things were good for the two. They were still at odds with each other and the only intimacy they shared was when they would walk from the dining hall back to their apartments. Still, it was good. They shared some laughs and they learned bits and pieces about the other. Liam still wasn’t completely on board with having a consort already, but he supposed Zayn was better than what he could have ended up with.

Zayn continued to worm his way into the hearts of his family as well. Every morning after breakfast, he would take a stroll in the gardens with the Queen as Liam was left to watch from the windows of the castle. Every night, Harry would come in and Zayn would tell him stories of the gods and goddesses which left Harry awestruck while Liam would sit in his adjacent  study and work, trying to hide the smile on his face even if the two others could see him.

It was less than a week until Liam was officially going to be of age when the news broke. Apparently another kingdom was marching their way to Cerberus and they wanted blood. Something about a bad trade or something equally ridiculous. As soon as Liam had heard, he knew this was his last chance to show himself on the battlefield since he knew his father expected to step down as King at Liam’s coming of age ceremony.

Liam was putting all of his armor on when he heard a noise coming from the door. It was Zayn. The boy’s face which was usually appeared neutral in Liam’s presence, looked troubled. They both didn’t say anything as Liam finished putting on the last of his armor and placed his helmet under his arm. Right as Liam was about to pass Zayn, the boy finally spoke. “Be careful,” he said softly. Liam looked into the boy’s eyes and saw the same worried look that he saw in his mother’s whenever he left. Liam left without saying anything, afraid he might say something he would regret.

He hopped on his horse and slipped on his helmet as the troops all were getting ready. Louis trotted over to him on Felicite and offered his hand. Liam gave his friend’s hand a squeeze, something they always did before they left. They were both confident warriors and experienced horsemen, but it was a ‘just in case’ sort of thing that neither of them really addressed afterward. As soon as everyone was assembled, they rode off away from the city before the rival kingdom had a chance to storm it.

The battle started off just like any other. There was a tense moment as the two militaries stared each other down before someone finally cracked and attacked. Liam slayed anyone in his path and lost sight of Louis almost right away. While he always worried for Louis, his mind was now clouded by thoughts of Zayn. The way the boy’s eyes looked at him before he left and the way he didn’t even offer the boy any reassuring words or even a pat on the shoulder haunted him. His mind was so filled with guilt, that he didn’t even see it coming. He looked down at the _one spot_ in his armor that wasn’t surrounded by metal and saw red. That’s all he remembered before things went black.

\---

Bright. That’s all he could think of when he finally came to. His eyes were still closed but the room was so obnoxiously bright that he didn’t want to open them. After a few moments, he hardly noticed how bright it was and all he felt was sharp pain near his chest. He let out a groan and almost instantly heard movement beside him. “Liam?”

He expected Louis to be there, ready to tell him off for how dumb he was for not having his head completely in the battle and how mad he was that he made him worry, or just as likely Harry with his bottom lip trembling and unshed tears in his eyes about the thought of losing his older brother. The voice belonged to neither of them. He cracked open his eyes and saw Zayn sitting there. The boy looked tired. There were bruises under his eyes and his hair looked as if he had spent a lot of time running his fingers into it. Liam offered the boy a smile before croaking out, “Hi.”

Zayn smiled back at him and seemed relieved just to hear Liam’s voice. He moved from his spot in the chair beside Liam’s sick bed and kneeled beside him. “Fuck,” he breathed out, shaking his head. “You gave me a right scare, you fucking git.”

He deserved that. He had been a git for a lot of reasons and he felt bad that Zayn had received the blunt end of it. “I know,” Liam said again, his voice still raw from not using it for…he didn’t know how long. “I’m sorry I scared you. That’s the first time I’ve ever come close like that. How long have I been out for?”

“Three days,” he replied. _Fuck._ “Whoever slashed you somehow got through the one spot you didn’t have armor. You’re lucky it didn’t pierce your heart.” Liam let the fact he had actually been close to death sink in before Zayn added, “Don’t worry, Louis saw what happened and _apparently_ chopped the man to bits. Probably exaggerated a bit.”

Liam chuckled. At least whoever did this was dealt with. That gave him _some_ peace of mind. His mind, however, was sill reeling over the distressed look of Zayn’s face. He hated that he was the reason that Zayn’s perfectly beautiful face was marred with worry, especially after how he treated him right before he left. Liam went to reach over and winced. “Being stabbed really does hurt,” he hissed, making Zayn chuckle. “Don’t laugh. Give me your hand, damn it. I’m an injured man here.”

Zayn offered his hand and Liam laced their fingers together. Neither of them said anything as they observed the way their hands looked entwined together. Their hands had been together like this before but now something felt different. Something had definitely shifted in their relationship. It was new and fragile, but Liam didn’t think either of them would do anything to smash it. “I know it has been assumed that you would be my consort since you were tribute to me,” Liam finally said, breaking the silence between them. “But I’m giving you an option. Would you like to by my official consort, Zayn?”

There wasn’t a response at first. Zayn looked at Liam’s face, trying to find any sign that he didn’t mean his words. His worried eyes softened slightly before he said, “On one condition.”

“Anything,” Liam promised, and he meant it.

“No more getting stabbed.”

Liam laughed, and Zayn joined him. Once again, he could feel their truce getting rewritten and Liam knew they they were going to be okay.

\---

On the day of Liam’s coming of age ceremony, his mother was in his apartments helping him get into his robes since he still had a hard time moving from getting stabbed. When he was dressed, his mother helped him into the even more annoying sling that the palace physician recommended him wearing. Liam said he didn’t need it, Zayn agreed otherwise. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. He had been building up to this day for his entire life but now it was actually here. In less than an hour, he would be King of an entire kingdom.

His mother stepped behind him and looked at him in his reflection. “Nervous?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he replied. “No.” He sighed. “This is the moment I’ve been anticipating for my whole life but now that it’s here, it’s weird. After tonight, I am going to be expected to run an entire kingdom, thousands and thousands of people looking up to me for wisdom and guidance. What if I suck?”

The Queen chuckled and kissed her son’s cheek. “Liam,” she said in a soft voice. “You’re going to be a wonderful king. Although I try not to listen to the stories of you in battle, I know you are a strong person physically and are willing to do anything for this kingdom. You’re also a wonderfully kind person who has a good head on your shoulders.” She stepped away from behind him, breaking their gaze through the mirror. “Besides,” she said, a teasing smirk playing on her lips. “Everyone knows that it’s the Queen that really runs things and lucky enough for this kingdom, Zayn also has a good head on his shoulders.”

\---

Liam was standing behind the doors of the main throne chamber which he knew seated hundreds of people in order to see the crowning of the new King. Ever since his mother left, he had been left alone to freak out by himself. He knew his father must be making a speech behind the doors since he could hear the muffled sound coming from the door. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his hip which made him jump slightly. “ _Fuck!”_ he practically yelled in surprise. It was Zayn. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for your own crowning?”

Zayn smiled and rubbed the pad of his thumb against Liam’s hip. “I knew you’d be freaking out so I figured I’d come and try and calm you down.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Liam questioned the other boy.

Instead of giving him an answer, Zayn moved forward and placed a kiss on Liam’s lips. Over the month that Zayn had been here, this was the first time they had done more than held hands. At first it was because neither of them would give into the idea of actually being together, and then after Liam was injured it seemed like it would be too difficult but now after how soft and firm Zayn’s lips felt against his own made the Prince want to turn back time so he wouldn’t have wasted an entire month not knowing what the boy tasted like. They didn’t have much time so they shared just a few kisses between themselves before someone cleared their throat. One of the guards apologized but informed him that it was time. Zayn whispered his luck to Liam before disappearing again to wait for his own turn to be officially introduced as the King’s consort.

Liam straightened himself and took a few deep breaths as the wide doors opened for him. Everyone in the chamber were standing up in respect as Liam walked between the aisles to the thrones. Harry was sitting in his usual place, but his mother and father were standing, proud smiles on their faces. When he reached them, Liam kneeled down on one knee, only wincing slightly from the pain.

“Prince Liam,” his father announced after everyone sat down in their respective seats. “Today you take on the responsibilities that have been passed on for generations of the past kings of Cerberus. By taking this crown, you are agreeing to be a good and fair king to the people of this kingdom. You agree to always take the noble option, but also to make sure your people are protected and will bring out the troops when the situation calls for it. You promise to remember that every life is important in his kingdom, and no voice should be unheard. You have proven yourself to be a brave man on the battlefield and I believe without a doubt you will be brave during your rule.” Liam smiled as he felt his mother take off his crown and then have it be replaced by his father’s. _His._ “Please stand.”

Liam carefully stood, ignoring the pain in his chest as he turned to the congregation. “To King Liam!” his father shouted which the people echoed in return before they erupted in cheers. Liam smiled and felt the nervous energy he had felt before completely disappear and now all he felt was the positive energy he was being fed from the crowd. His father raised his hand to try and reign in the noise from those in the room. “And now,” he continued. “King Liam has picked an official consort who will help carry on his blood.” The doors opened again and Zayn walked through the door. Even though he had his usual neutral face on, Liam could tell he was nervous. When he walked the length of the aisle, he too dropped to his knee like Liam had before. Liam’s mother gave a speech that was very similar to his father’s before placing her crown onto Zayn’s head.

Zayn stood then and Liam took his hand, giving it a squeeze which Zayn then returned. There were shouts of ‘To Liam and Zayn’ but all that mattered was the boy next to him. His consort. His _Queen,_ if they decided that that was the term Zayn wanted to go by. Liam smiled, and he really couldn’t imagine being happier than he was at that moment.

\---

After the main ceremony, they followed Liam’s father to the balcony where thousands of people were waiting for Liam to be introduced as the new King and to catch a look at his consort they had heard rumors about. Liam was buzzing on a high the entire night, one that he had never experienced before. There had been wine passed around the whole night, both he and Zayn taking their fair share which only added to the high. After it was all over, the two stood by the fireplace in _their_ apartments and watched as the flames jumped and danced in the pit. “I can’t believe I’m King,” Liam said, shaking his head. “Seems like a dream.”

Zayn chuckled beside him and looked up into Liam’s eyes. “It is very dreamlike,” he agreed. There was a silence between the two. It was expected of them to consummate their relationship this night. If they didn’t show signs of pregnancy by the end of the year, people would start to talk that Zayn obviously wasn’t the Son of Hera that he was claimed to be and would want his head. Liam didn’t doubt Zayn’s status, but he was still nervous. They had just started to get a mutual understanding either each other and the first time they had only shared their first kiss earlier in the night. Zayn seemed to pick up his brain waves because he reached over and stroked Liam’s cheek. “We don’t have to tonight,” he said, his eyes moving down to Liam’s parted lips. “But I want to.”

Liam could practically feel his pupils dilate with lust as he closed the space between the two and captured the other boy’s lips in a kiss. This kiss was much more aggressive than the ones they shared before the ceremony. This kiss was bruising and possessive. These kisses left both of their heads swimming from the intensity. While trying to get their bodies as close to each other as possible, Liam let out a hiss of pain from the wound on his chest. “Damn it,” he growled. “This stupid fucking wound. Taking away my last battle and my first night with you.”

Zayn said nothing. He helped Liam unwrap his arm and carefully let it fall to his side. Zayn started to rid Liam of his trousers, but when Liam went to interject and ask _what the hell are you doing?,_ Zayn put his finger to the boy’s lips to silence him. “Don’t talk,” he said. “Just enjoy. I’ll take care of you.” Liam simply nodded his head as Zayn continued to rid Liam of his trousers. Liam kicked them from his ankles until he was left completely bare in front of his consort. It wasn’t the first time that Zayn had seen Liam naked but it was the first time he saw the evidence of his arousal and the sight of Liam shamelessly nude in front of him like this made own arousal swell. He dropped to both knees in front of him, his piercing golden eyes staying on Liam as his mouth sank down the King’s prick.

Liam let out a startled groan. The boy thought he knew how the mechanics of sex worked but never had he heard of someone taking that into their _mouths._ He let any kind of preconceived notions of this night disappear as the feeling of Zayn’s warm mouth took over his senses. He moved his head up and down Liam’s hard shaft, taking each inch with ease and Liam wondered if it was really as easy as Zayn was making it seem. “You know,” Liam was able to breath out as he gripped one of the bricks above the fireplace. “I’m really starting to wonder whether or not I should be jealous. You know how to work that mouth far too well for this to be your first time.”

Zayn pulled his lips off Liam’s prick and nipped at the inside of the other boy’s legs. “I come from the birth place of the goddess of _sexuality,”_ he replied, nudging his nose against the tip of Liam’s throbbing prick. “It’s in my nature to know how to please my lover. Do you doubt the state of my virginity, King Liam?”

Liam shook his head but before he could give a verbal reply, Zayn was sinking his mouth back down Liam’s length, making the other boy moan into the sexually charged air. Besides his own hand, this was the first sexual experience Liam had ever had since the royal family wanted to keep their bloodline tight and the best it could be. Liam knew that if Zayn kept working him the way that he was, he wasn’t going to last long enough to _actually_ consummate their marriage. Liam pulled his hips back, just out of reach of the boy’s willing lips and Zayn scowled up at him. “You can’t possibly tell me that you want our first night to end like _that,”_ Liam teased.

“Maybe,” Zayn replied, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “I wouldn’t mind if you had. As long as we could have a round two.”

Liam chuckled and stroked Zayn’s reddened cheeks with his thumb. “I don’t think I quite have the same strength I would normally,” he said, motioning towards his wound. “Perhaps another night we can test my stamina but for now, I’d like much, much more than just your mouth.

Zayn stood up and placed a kiss to Liam’s plump lips. “Then I’m yours.” The dark haired boy started to disrobe and Liam watched with much interest. He never paid much attention to Zayn’s body before and Liam wanted to kick himself for waiting so long to really appreciate the boy’s body. Liam had a larger muscle mass, but Zayn was nicely toned in his arms and chest. His hipbones stuck out prominently and if he were in better health, Liam would drop his knees right then and bite and suck on them until they were bruised. Zayn’s arousal was sticking straight out from beneath a small, neatly trimmed section of hair. If Liam thought it was impossible for Zayn to be any more beautiful than he was in his clothes, he somehow was even more attractive out of them.

Liam stepped forward and ran his hand on his _good_ side down the backside of Zayn, feeling the way his back curved into the small bump of his bum. The King let out a shuddery breath as he let his finger dip into the crack, feeling wetness already collected there. He moaned. “I had heard,” Liam said, licking his lips. “That Sons of Hera grew wet with arousal the same as females, but I never….“ He chuckled. “You really are something amazing.”

Zayn smiled at his King, leaning forward and biting the other boy’s collarbone. “Enough flattery,” he said, his voice laced with obvious arousal. “Take me. Make me yours.”

Liam pulled Zayn down so they were laying on the on the soft rug beside the fireplace. The shadows danced across Zayn’s face, just like they had the first night he had been there, but instead of hatred of the boy’s beauty, Liam only felt overwhelming love for the other boy. ‘ _Oh how things have changed’_. Zayn pushed Liam so the boy was lying on his back and Zayn was straddling his thighs. He hovered himself above Liam’s length for just a moment, locking eyes with the King, before lowering himself down slowly. The feeling of Zayn’s arse hugging his prick so tightly was overwhelming. It was much more than Liam ever thought it _could_ be. When Zayn was completely seated onto Liam, he took a moment to calm his breathing. His hair was in a bit of a state, but Liam still didn’t think he had seen Zayn more beautiful than he was just now.

After a few moments, Zayn smiled down at Liam before moving himself up and down the boy’s hard length. They both let out moans of pleasure, basking in the feeling of being this close to each other. Liam couldn’t wait until this damn wound of his was healed so he could hold Zayn close to his chest as he rocked into him. Until then, this would have to do and it was more than good enough. Zayn felt so good around that his head started to swim. “Zayn,” Liam breathed out, his eyes barely able to stay open. “You look so beautiful like that. You look so good moving up and down with me buried inside of you.”

Zayn let out a mewling noise at that and bit down on his lower lip. Apparently the other boy felt the same way about Liam. The boy’s arousal as sticking straight out and was deep red in color at the tip. It was absolutely beautiful. Even with his injury, Liam was able to reach forward and run his hand against Zayn’s erection making the boy’s hole clench around him. “Liam!” he cried out. He let out a small whimper and Liam would _kill_ the man that injured him and was keeping him from throwing Zayn’s whimpering form to the floor and thrusting into him in abandon if he knew Louis hadn’t done it himself. Maybe he’d kill Louis for taking the satisfaction from him.

Liam continued to run his hand across Zayn’s hard prick, wrapping his thick fingers around it. Liam felt that familiar build up as Zayn continued to whimper and moan above him and soon it was too much. “Zayn,” he managed to get out. “I want you to come with me. Want you to come as I put a baby in your belly, love.” That seemed to be all it took before Zayn’s body was convulsing above him, his own come shooting out onto Liam’s torso. The sight was something that Liam would probably see every time he shut his eyes from now on, and was all he needed to set off his own orgasm. He pumped his seed into Zayn’s sated body.

When they were finished, Liam felt something shift between them again. Their truce had been rewritten for hopefully the last time. Although the words hadn’t been said aloud yet, Liam knew that he loved this boy whose breath was becoming in-sync with his own by his side. They may have started off cold a bitter towards each other, but those feelings had passed. He was excited to start this new chapter of his life with a kingdom full of loyal subjects and the boy who loved him firmly at his side.

Liam was able to wrap his good arm around Zayn and the boy looked into Liam’s, his eyes holding the same intensity as they did since day one. “Did you mean it?” the boy asked softly that if Liam hadn’t seen his lips move, he would have thought he imagined it.

“Mean what?” Liam asked as his fingers worked their way into Zayn’s messy hair.

“About making a baby,” he asked. “I know there are potions that are supposed to stop fertility until the couple is ready but…do you really want to try?”

Liam guided Zayn’s face down so he could place a kiss to the boy’s lips. “That may be an option in later years,” Liam said. “I don’t want to knock you up _every_ time I want to bed you, but yes. The idea is definitely something I’m comfortable with.”

Zayn’s smile stretched across his entire face as he kissed Liam with much fervor. When they pulled away, Liam stroked Zayn’s cheek softly. He was incredibly nervous, but he swallowed his fear and allowed himself to say the words he never expected to say to the other boy. “I love you, Zayn.”

 

The other boy didn’t seem surprised at Liam’s words, which Liam half expected him to be. After how they started off, Liam would have been surprised as well. Instead, Zayn just smiled and said, “I love you, too, you idiot.” They shared a quiet laugh before Liam, with Zayn’s help, stood up and they made their way to the bed. For the first time since Zayn’s arrival, the two boys crawled into bed together, limbs entangled and their breaths mingling. It may have been their first night like this, but Liam found peace knowing that this was going to be far from their last and in the end, that’s all that really mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope you liked this. I got really excited about this prompt when it was sent to me so I hope the original sender likes it, too. Please let me know what you think because I thrive on feedback! Also, if anyone is wondering why Niall wasn't included, I just couldn't really find a place to fit him in without throwing off the story. I considered having him be Liam and Zayn's first born son but I liked where the story cut off so for those who may be disappointed for the lack of Niall, at least have that?


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